Originally, I planned on making this sign for my son’s birthday in early December, but his birthday came and went and then Christmas and, well, here we are and it’s almost March! Between then and now, I decided to redecorate his room into more of a “big boy” space, and fortunately the sign still tied in with the new décor. I’m not sure why I kept putting this off because it was really a simple project – which, of course, are the best kind!

I purchased all of the materials at Michaels after seeing an example of something similar they had displayed. My plan was to spell out his first and last name, so I started with two wood frames. I found the wood letters I liked and sized them against the wood frames to make sure they fit before buying them. I then purchased a set of acrylic paints and a variety of cardstock scrapbook paper.

First, I measured the inside of the wood frames and cut the cardstock paper to fit. I used an all-purpose craft spray adhesive to attach the paper to the inside of the frame. Make sure you cover the area you’ll be working on with newspaper or an old sheet so you don’t get spray adhesive on everything. I made the mistake of spraying directly over our granite countertops – luckily I had some Goo Gone on hand!

Next, I painted the letters with acrylic paint. This was the most time consuming part, but once I got into a rhythm it went pretty fast. I let the letters sit and dry for about 20 minutes before moving onto the final step.

Once the letters were dry, I positioned them where I wanted them on the wood frames and used a hot glue gun to glue them on.

Since the base of the frames were too narrow to stand by themselves, I used some adhesive tape along the base to attach them to my son’s dresser top. Overall, I think they turned out pretty good!

Well, it’s been a long, hard week, but I’m starting to get my mojo back! As you may know from my last post, I had a bad bout with my OCD and it really took everything out of me. It’s hard to understand if you’ve never experienced it, but just compare it to being absolutely exhausted, to the point where you can’t think straight. That’s pretty much how it is – kind of.

I think God heard my prayers (and all of those who were praying for me) because today was better. I felt more like myself – more alive. And, with that feeling, my inspiration to write came back – hurray! This is life. Some days will be harder than others. I know that, but it still doesn’t make it easy. However, it does make me more grateful for the days that I feel alive and well.

With that being said, I have a fun project to share with you! We recently finished a small remodel on our house (that’s a future post) and in turn had to replace our electrical box, which happens to be in our master bedroom. The picture that once covered it no longer fit, so I was challenged to find something new that would cover this obtrusive accessory.

I spent weeks looking for something that would be just the right size. I even had one of the local décor shops looking for me as new shipments arrived. No luck. On a whim, I stopped by World Market one day to look around and ended up finding the perfect solution. I can’t tell you how excited I was. It was like I hit the jackpot – well, not really, but almost! At the time, the faux shutters opened to a mirror, but after looking at the back I realized I could remove the mirror and create an area that would perfectly frame the electrical box.

Once I got it home, I went to work removing the hardware from the back, which was pretty simple despite having TONS of tiny little screws. My husband took a shot of me hard at work – who doesn’t like a woman holding a screwdriver?!

Once I got the mirror off, I measured and hung it over the electrical box – it fit perfectly!

Now, when we need to access the box (because we do tend to blow fuses now and then) we can simply open the shutters and there it is. Plus, they’re super cute and add a fun flare to our basement bedroom. Now, I just need to find something to do with the extra mirror! Guess it’s time to get those creative juices flowing!

I’d love to hear how you’ve repurposed new or old furniture around your house!

Like this:

I’ve had this bulletin board for quite a while now and FINALLY got it hung yesterday! I’m loving the bright cheerfulness it adds to the typical darkness of our basement office – no windows means lots of color! Believe it or not, this bulletin board was in sad shape when I first got my hands on it. I wish I had a before photo, but I don’t so you’ll just have to imagine a sad, plain brown bulletin board. My mother-in-law found it at a rummage sale she helps put on every year and knew I was in the market for bulletin boards so she quickly confiscated it!

My first step was giving the icky wood border a fresh coat of paint. The easiest way to do this is by laying down a tarp or old sheet in the front yard (if it’s sunny) or in the garage and holding down each corner with something heavy so it doesn’t flip-up if a gust of wind catches it (I’m speaking from experience!). Put your board in the middle and spray paint the wood border. Don’t worry about spraying the cork because this will be covered with fabric anyway. You’ll want to let the paint dry overnight before the next step. I used a black gloss indoor/outdoor spray paint, but any color would work.

Once the board is dry, take your choice of fabric and lay it over the cork portion of the board and cut around the inside of the border. I use the inside of the border as a guide for my scissors so I get a fairly even cut. Next, tape off the wood border with blue painters tape and spray the cork portion of the board with adhesive spray. Remove the tape and take your fabric and carefully apply it to the adhesive sprayed cork. This is the most challenging part because your fabric will want to gap in certain areas, but just continue to lift and smooth until the entire cork is covered.

Next, take your ribbon of choice, measure each side of the border and cut. You will have four pieces of ribbon. Run a thin strip of craft glue along the inside of the wood border and attach ribbon, smoothing as you go.

Let the entire board dry overnight and you’re done! I love these boards because they’re so versatile. I have one hanging in my office, closet and two matching boards that I use at Christmas to hang cards from. They also make great gifts! My step-mom uses one in her closet to hang her necklaces from – the possibilities are endless!

Like this:

My mom was an amazing seamstress. Unfortunately, I paid little or no attention when I was younger, especially in my teen years when I was much too busy dealing with the latest drama. But, I digress!

Over the years, I’ve dabbled in sewing from time to time and even asked my in-laws for a sewing machine for Christmas one year. However, most of the time it collected dust. It wasn’t until I got sober and needed something to focus on, that I actually took it out, dusted it off and started using it (after I re-read the manual a dozen times!). I started off small by making some burlap and fabric banners (I’ll have to post those later!) and eventually moved on to larger projects – but not too large!

Surprisingly, I’ve found a lot of enjoyment in teaching myself to sew and satisfaction in completing a project. It’s one of the many ways I’ve practiced following through with things, which hasn’t always been my strong suit! I’m far from an accomplished seamstress – if anything I’m a total amateur. Regardless, it’s a fun way to express my creativity and practice not being perfect – because, believe me, my sewing is NOT perfect!

Okay, so on to my latest sewing project. We recently got new couches for our living area and I desperately wanted some new throw pillows. Instead of buying them like I usually would, I thought “what the heck!” I’ll try making some covers for my old pillows. It can’t be that hard, right? Well, there’s A LOT of ways to make throw pillow covers. Oh, and did I mention I like easy, no fuss projects? I’ve never done a zipper, so that was out. A sewing friend of mine mentioned she always makes envelope-style pillow covers, which sounded much more doable. Being optimistic, I bought some cute fabric from an adorable fabric and quilting store in Sisters, OR called the Stitchin Post.

Okay, with fabric in hand, I Googled envelope-style pillow covers. I wanted to use two different patterns, for front and back, so I looked for directions that incorporated those elements. Like I said, I like easy projects, which also includes EASY directions! I found a great tutorial over at Redbook Magazine. With cutting, ironing and sewing, the whole project took about an hour – allow for a bit longer if you’re trying to prepare dinner and answer kid questions all at the same time!

Overall, I’m really happy with how they turned out! The only thing I would do differently next time is add a few more inches to the width of the front panel, so a total of eight inches instead of five as it suggests. My pillows have a small gap at the envelope closure and adding a bit more fabric would prevent this.

Apparently, even our kitty, Tally, approves of the finished product!

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Mom, wife, writer, aspiring DIYer and seeker of simplicity. I write about faith, food, family, sobriety and life on our small Oregon farm. My writing comes from my heart, transparent and honest, just as I aim to live my life today. In sharing my story, I hope you find inspiration to live your most authentic and joyful life. Thanks for stopping by!